


Smell Unlike Any Other

by literaryoblivion



Series: Tumblr Ficlets [130]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, Scenting, Werewolf Derek, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-25
Updated: 2017-08-25
Packaged: 2018-12-19 19:35:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11904750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/literaryoblivion/pseuds/literaryoblivion
Summary: Derek's been sheltered and living remotely in a small town most of his life, so when he goes away to a big city for college, it's overwhelming, especially when he smells something amazing and unlike anything else he's smelled.





	Smell Unlike Any Other

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the following prompt: "For the prompt thing if this happens to inspire you! Sterek: Derek is a werewolf who has lived his whole life out on a werewolf preserve in the middle of nowhere, and this is his first week of college. The first time he sees Stiles, he drops his books all over the hallway because he's /never/ smelled anyone like Stiles before."
> 
> Crossposted on tumblr [here](http://literaryoblivion.tumblr.com/post/164469724668/for-the-prompt-thing-if-this-happens-to-inspire).

They tried to convince Derek that he would be better off going to the local community college, but as much as he loved his family, he  _needed_  to be away. He’d lived his whole life on the preserve where the nearest town was 15 miles away, which was fine when he was younger. It took him some time to reign in his instincts, control his shift so that he didn’t transform into a werewolf at the slightest provocation. But he was 18 now, almost 19, and he could handle things on his own just fine.

He wasn’t too far, only a few hours, but it was a big college town with lots of sights and sounds and smells.

As much as he he convinced he could handle being in a new place, he has to admit it is… overwhelming.

He doesn’t feel as if he’ll shift or anything worrisome like that, but it is an overload to his senses and it gives him a headache and makes him want to stay in his room. He can’t though because classes start the next day and he still needs to go get his ID and the rest of his textbooks from the bookstore. 

He pushes through and gets the rest of his supplies and rushes home to bury his head beneath his blanket that still smells like pack and home. It makes him feel a little better, but then it starts to not and he feels homesick. He refuses to call his family though because they’ve only been gone a day and he does not want them thinking they were right and Derek was better off staying at home and away from the big city.

He just has to get used to this, have the cacophony become his new normal. He can do it.

The first day of class is tough. Just stepping on to campus and smelling the mix of anxiety and excitement and nervousness mixed with cinnamon rolls and breakfast burritos and coffee makes him want to throw up. Not to mention all of the snippets of conversations he can hear as he rushes by groups of students on his way to his own class.

But, by the end of the day, he’s gotten better at tuning things out, making it all white noise as opposed to anything he tries to focus on. The cafeteria is a tough one, but he narrows in on his own tray of food and puts in headphones and it seems to work.

The next day he figures he has totally got this and nothing will faze him… that is until he walks into his American History lecture and gets a whiff of something so amazing that he drops his pile of books all over the floor… right in front of the person who smells amazing.

“Uh…” Derek starts, immediately bending down to gather his fallen books.

“Oh, hey, let me help,” the great smelling guy says, also stooping down to pick up a few loose papers that fell out of one of Derek’s books.

They both stand holding a few things and the guy gives Derek a nice smile. The guy makes to hand Derek the books he’s holding, and Derek accepts them. He looks down at the papers he gathered, and his eyes widen slightly before also handing them over.

“Wow, you’ve already done an assignment and taken notes. It’s only the second day of class!” He laughs, and Derek can feel his face redden. “Maybe I should sit by you… so the studiousness will rub off on me,” the brown-haired guy says with a grin.

“Okay,” Derek replies because honestly now that he’s smelled him, he’s not sure he’d want to sit anywhere else. It’s like he can’t smell anything else in the room, and it’s a relief really.

“I’m Stiles,” he says, holding out his hand and then wincing when he realizes Derek’s hands are full. Instead, he pats Derek on the shoulder.

“Derek. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too.” Stiles gives him a grin and ushers him to a seat beside him.

Looks like going away to school was the right decision after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Bonus tags: #I wanted to end it because I'm trying to keep this short #but stiles totes knows about werewolves #and Derek was not being subtle about sniffing him nor leaning into him to sniff him more during their lecture #he pretends though because Derek is pretty hot and he's kind of a dork which is endearing #so Stiles continues to not notice things like Derek's eyes flashing when they go to an overly crowded bar #or the slight lisp he gets when his fangs peek out when they go out to eat and Derek hasn't eaten all day #he admits it though when Derek does shift because he can't control his emotions when stiles gets hit on at a club #and they haven't admitted they like each other and have just been 'friends' but really they love each other #and Derek is angry and jealous but when he shifts he freaks out and is worried stiles will hate him and be scared of him #and that's when stiles is like Derek #I've known since the day I met you that you're a werewolf it's fine also I've been in love with you since that same day too #soooo maybe you should put away the claws and fangs and kiss me
> 
> Come say hi on [tumblr](http://literaryoblivion.tumblr.com/) or [twitter](http://twitter.com/lit_oblivion).


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